Recycled Curtains (& Tips For Sewing Long Pieces)

A simple sewing request from hubby...

Late last year, my other half bought himself a used 1980s Class C motorhome.

It was entirely his decision — yes, he does that sometimes — and his explanation was that he had always wanted one. And because we had sold our vacation home and various other assets along with it, it was a minor "trade" all in all, on a monetary level. Which is true; he picked up the unit for almost pennies and it was in very good condition for its age. The engine has relatively low mileage, so it won't be an issue to have it be drivable for years to come.

That said, he has spent the past few months tearing most of it apart (to improve and beautify), in the process spending much, much more than the "almost pennies" that he originally paid for the whole thing.

I have refrained from taking too much of an interest in this project, but that hasn't stopped him from asking for my help. The first request had to do with replacing the curtains. You've seen the old curtains already: I recycled some of it into my Christmas table topper project.

Two types of recycling...

The yellow and white fabric shown here is both sides of a duvet cover that was hubby's when he was single. In reality, I'm not sure why it's been kept all these years (as in, it should have been donated long ago) but when I brought it out to show him, he immediately thought that it would be the perfect colour scheme to brighten up the motorhome's interior. (It was also turned into a Spoonflower surface design; we actually ordered a small bolt of wallpaper — when it went on sale at 30% off — to highlight the upper bunk area.)

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It's always a win to take on a sewing project that involves reusing material. Not only did I know for a fact that I'd find a use for the fabric from the curtains that were being taken down, knowing that a thirty-some year old duvet cover would find a second life was equally satisfying.

I eventually added some SF101 to the fabric, however, since it seemed somewhat thin. But it's not like I'm actively holding onto my bolts of interfacing for some future purpose, so it was an acceptable use of my sewing supplies.

First step was to measure the existing curtains...

The first thing one needs for a project like this is measurements.

As I took down the curtains, I pinned labels onto them to ensure that there would be no mix-up of what belonged where. There are six windows, but curtain-wise, there are a total of seven separate "pieces".

The odd thing about the old curtains is that they weren't sewn at all. Whoever made them — whether they came with the motorhome or if the previous owners did a DIY — glued or seam taped all of the hems. Not for me to ask why that was the case, but they sure were easy to take apart. No need for a seam ripper is a nice change of pace.

Important to label both old and new to ensure that no mix-ups occur...

For most projects, it's helpful to draw up a cutting layout for the various pieces required. Whether using recycled fabric or not, this extra step allows one to plan and cut with as little waste as possible.

The duvet piece was 80" by 76". The widest curtain piece was 81", not including seam allowances. It was, however, just a valance; a missing inch or two only means that it won't be as "ruffled" as the original. That's the thing about curtains, they can be quite forgiving in that sense. (I didn't have to compromise on any other section.)

In terms of overall length, the pieces all added up to 75"; the 76" that I had was just enough to accommodate. (An approximate 30" x 35" remnant remained at the end.)

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Once the fabric is cut (and interfaced), the next step is to pin and then press the seam allowances to match the original curtains. 

I had three styles of curtains at play here. The dinette and kitchen windows were topped with short valences only, the rear and front bunk windows had top and bottom rods holding the curtains in place (because the walls are angled there), and the two side bunk windows have a basic single panel curtain.

All straight line sewing...

When you have originals to work from, the job is so much easier. You don't need to keep measuring; it's just as easy to put the new on top of the old and do a physical comparison.

Apart from the ever-present challenge of sewing something that's so long — for which I promised tips per the title of today's post — there was another small challenge with this fabric that's worth noting: the stripes. On the duvet cover, they ran horizontally. For curtains, I definitely wanted them to be vertical.

The switch meant that the horizontal seams of these curtains — the top and bottom of them, as it were — would be sewn on the lengthwise grain; i.e., the one that runs parallel to the original selvage. (Note that the reverse is usually the case when sewing curtains; the lengthwise grain runs up and down rather than from side to side.)

This is the really long/wide (71") panel from the overhead bunk...

The funny part is that I didn't pay attention to grain line when I fused on the SF101, which is a woven interfacing and should normally match with the grain of the fabric to which it's being applied. I mostly applied it against the grain.

Curtain panels at back cinched with matching ties...

That probably turned out to be a good thing, as it most likely made the pieces less prone to stretch along the crosswise grain. With two panels measuring over 70" wide, I had been afraid that sewing along that great a length would produce some wonky, skewed results.

Which is why employing a couple of sewing techniques is helpful in this situation. One is to use a stiletto to "help" the fabric along as you sew; I covered this a few weeks ago. The other is to press well, pin well, and then sew from the middle out towards the ends. This trick reduces the distance that you end up sewing in one go, minimizing the risk that the top and bottom layers won't match up at the end.

 

Trying to stay as straight and "true" as possible...

All of these curtain pieces have a rod pocket, so the side seams had to be sewn first. I suspect that had I then sewn the dinette valence — the one that's 80" wide — from left edge to right edge, the seam at the end wouldn't have turned out as even as in the picture above.

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Actually, after I completed the sewing, it occurred to me that perhaps the original curtains' creator used hem tape because it was easier to keep the seams straight that way. It's sort of like basting first, which is the third tip I'd offer about sewing long pieces to ensure success.

By the way, it was while sewing up this project that I reminded myself that I needed to work on DIY-ing an extension table, because another tip for sewing large pieces is to have a level surface to sew on.

Curtain along top bunk (before application of wallpaper)...

It is going to be interesting in the coming weeks to see hubby's plans for this thing unfold. I have no issues with him taking it out and going fishing/camping wherever he fancies, but I don't see myself accompanying him on these adventures. I have never been a camping enthusiast and this setup does not — in my opinion — take it up a notch. When I explained my aversion to the small space, he said, well, you'll mostly be outside.

I'll mostly be outside?

Thanks, but I'll mostly be outside in our back yard. With access to full size bed and (dry) bath in the house. Who's with me on that?

'Til next...